Entries in Ali F Mostafa
(3)

Classified is a new web series exclusive to mbc.net directed by Ali F Mostafa that will premiere online on 28th September and will run till 26th October.

The events in this five episode action drama is centered around a phone call from an anonymous person that leads to a chain of dangerous events.

Webisodes aren't a common format in this region. The only other web series from this region that I am aware of is Shankaboot which won an International Digital Emmy® Award earlier this year. (Shankaboot is the world’s first Arabic web-series that takes us into the heart of Beirut street life through the eyes of Suleiman, a 15 year old delivery boy).

I’ve been hearing mixed reviews for the past few months and was worried there would be blind love and support for this movie just because it was made here and not for it’s quality and content.

Thankfully I was wrong, it deserves all the positive support it’s getting because it is a very well-made movie. As for the negative feedback, the less constructive kind, well, that isn’t deserved. Especially if it is bashing stating the movie isn’t an accurate depiction of the city. I like to refer to this group of people as the Traditional Delusionalists who either have no idea what goes on in this city or are in complete denial.

City of Life premiered last December at the Dubai International Film Festival 2009. I intentionally skipped this movie in December because I normally focus on watching movies I know that will have no chance in hell getting a wide release here and instead of counting on watching them on DVD later (since I cherish my cinema theatre experience), I make sure I watch as many as I can at the festival.

So with that in mind and with City of Life being a Dubai movie, I assumed it would be released across cinemas here shortly after the festival.